Homebound
by ChroniclerOfFantasies
Summary: Link, Malon, Navi, and Nox (Dark Link) are all looking for the missing pieces that make them whole. Read how they each search for a place to call home and how they discover what it really means after losing it all. [MalonxLink]
1. Chapter 1

Third era of Hyrule 229

Tuesday

Dear Diary,

It's been pretty lonely on the ranch since Dad passed away last year. Mr. Ingo left too because he fell in love and married a rich noble girl. It was actually a pretty tearful goodbye. I know we didn't really see eye to eye, but we were still good friends. Plus he really did love the animals on this ranch. I miss him.

Now the only one left on the ranch is me. Maintaining this place is hard enough with just three people. By myself it's nearly impossible. Everything is starting to get run down. The fences, the roof, the walls, the stables, everything is falling apart and I can barely keep it together. What's worse I have to make my rounds to and from the different towns and cities but if I leave the ranch I can't take care of the animals or anything else. I've had to cut routes so I'm never gone more that a day. It takes so much longer to get from town to town and some places I never get to at all.

And since repairing the ranch costs so much money and I can't sell as much as I used to, I've had to raise prices just to keep this roof over my head. I've tried putting up help wanted signs in every village, but nobody seems to want to help. If this keeps up I'll have to sell the animals, and things will only get worse from there...

It's so cold now. It's the middle of winter you know? The animals went on a riot in the spring and Benny, you know the big black bull, he went charging through the fence and the wall of the house. I managed to get things under control, but I haven't been able to properly patch it up. I had a few spare boards lying around so I nailed those up and now the rest of it is blocked by furniture. Then when summer rolled around I found out there were a ton of holes causing my roof to leak and in the fall the mice started coming inside trying to get away from the cold of winter making nests and mouse holes everywhere. With all these holes I can't get the heat to stay inside no matter what I do.

The different villagers are getting angry about deliveries. Some towns have stopped making orders. Kakariko seems to be my only trustworthy customers anymore. Well them and Hyrule Palace. There's always a demand there but that's to be expected.

It's the middle of the night you know. I'm laying down trying to keep warm but these old blankets might as well be rags for all the good they're doing. My hands are so cold they feel frozen. It's making it really hard to write but this journal feels like my only friend these days. It's really all I have to keep me company anymore aside from the barn animals and the occasional bed bug. Shadows seem to dance on the walls tonight, like I didn't need anything else to keep me awake.

As exhausted as I am sleep seems to be pretty hard to come by. In fact it's damn near impossible. Here I am in my nightgown after a hard days work in the freezing snow, and I'm seeing ghosts on the walls. Of course I know they're not real, but when you're this exhausted and the world seems against you you're ready to believe just about anything.

I forget when the last time I had visitors was. Ingo does stop by from time to time to help out, but since he's more like family than anything else I can't really consider him a "visitor". I guess if I had to pinpoint the last time I had visitors, I'd say it must have been… eight years ago now. Back when HE visited. I wonder if I'll ever see him again? He did promise to come back some time after he purchased Epona. I wish he'd return… its lonely here in this house by myself.

* * *

Third Era of Hyrule 229

Wednesday

Dear Diary,

You'll never believe what I found yesterday! Or rather WHO I found. She's a little fairy, calls herself Navi. Apparently she's looking for a friend of hers who she left some time ago. Apparently she heard of that friend going through a lot of pain and strife searching for her and it broke her heart. When she left she didn't think it would have such an effect on him and now she felt guilty.

According to her she had feelings that couldn't be returned. Not because they couldn't, but because what she wanted just couldn't be. I guess that makes sense, after all she is a fairy and her friend is evidently a Hylian. I feel bad for her, but there's nothing I can do.

It hurt that I couldn't help her, but at the same time I was a little offended by what she did. I mean, she left her greatest friend in the world completely alone because SHE had a broken heart. I can't really say I wouldn't do the same thing having never been in that position, but I don't think it's right to completely abandon someone in this huge wide world.

This past year I've come to understand just how horrible loneliness is. All you want to do is just pack up and go... anywhere. You just want to keep walking forever and ever, looking for that place you call home. I can't tell you how many times I've lost track of where I was going on the Caravan just because of that. It's like this singing in your heart and you follow it without realizing where you're going. I always noticed that the singing pulled me to Kokiri forest, but no one dares to go there as its filled with monsters supposedly. Still though I keep being drawn to that place, like I'm being pulled by invisible threads.

But even if I wanted I couldn't go. I wouldn't be able to deal with the monsters, plus I have to take care of the ranch.

Speaking of the ranch, Navi was quite helpful. She couldn't do practically any chores due to her small size, but her magic was enough to keep me up and moving. Whenever I got exhausted she'd just fly around me and I'd get an energy boost. She only stayed for about a week, but I've gotten more work done this week than I have all year and needless to say I'm happy about that.

As Navi left she gave me a detailed description of her friend. I was surprised and asked her if his name was Link. When I mentioned him she got super excited thinking I knew something about what happened to him, but all I did was let her down. Apparently, Link bought Epona right after she left, probably for the sole purpose of finding her. But I said he promised he's come back sometime and he seemed like the kind of guy who kept his promises. She seemed to perk up a little after I said that, so I'm glad.

Now if only somebody were out there looking fore ME...


	2. Chapter 2

Is this how it ends? Am I just going to die here in the middle of Hyrule field? Will my body be buried in the snow only to be found when spring comes? Will anyone even care? I can't imagine the princess shedding any tears, at least not anymore. Saria might… wait that's right, Saria doesn't know where I went. She never awakened as a Sage after I was sent back in time. So I never went to the village to see her again. I guess that means the rest of the Kokiri will just go wondering what happened to me as well…

I wonder if Zelda will be kind enough to bury me? Maybe she'll put me in Kakariko with the rest of the royal shiekah. That would be nice I guess… I mean I've saved the world twice and nobody knows my name. It would be nice to be buried as a hero, even if no one ever knows while I'm alive.

Normally, that wouldn't be so bad. I wouldn't really care if no one knows I'm a hero. But when you're all alone and no one knows your name, you at least would like to go down in history with your most major accomplishments being acknowledged. But that's not going to happen.

I lost my friends from kokiri because I'm actually a Hylian, I lost Zelda because peasants and royalty can't intermingle, Navi completely abandoned me without a word, and I can't eat rocks so I can't live with the gorons. Ruto invited me to live with the Zora's, when I said no she even offered to drop the whole marriage thing, all she wanted was for me to stop constantly wandering across Hyrule anymore. She was afraid for my well-being, or something like that.

It's not like I was trying to be rude or anything, and I certainly didn't want to be alone anymore, I just can't live with the Zora's. I don't fit in there and it wouldn't be right. Besides, what can I offer them? We're in a time of peace and the only skills I know involve fighting. I'm a warrior, a hero, but no one needs saving anywhere. There are no dungeons to explore, no prophecies to fulfill or legends to create.

I'm useless now.

And what happens to useless things?

They get thrown away.

That's what's happening to me now as I lie here in the snow. It's getting harder to breathe. I can't even feel anything anymore. I'm tired I know that much, but it's not the kind of tired you wake up from. This isn't some nap, it's the big sleep. I close my eyes and it's all over for me.

But hey, at least I won't be alone anymore. I'll die right here, in this icy wasteland. Goodbye Hyrule…

Ugh… Where am I? Are those… clucking noises? Are there cucoos in heaven? I wonder if they're angry at me. I never was much of a friend to their kind. I have to open my eyes… argh! That's bright!

I took a good look around the room I was in, evidently I was on someone's couch and in the corner was a pile of hay covered in cucoo's. They sent a shiver down my spine. Not very surprising given our history though. We're natural enemies, like cats and dogs.

It looked like a simple wood house. Candle light doused its shadows and old oak furniture was set about nicely. It was a little too simple though. It gave off an empty feeling, like not only I, but the whole house, was alone.

I guess that's when it hit me that I shouldn't be here. I was lying in the snow about to die. Somebody must have found me and carried me all the way here. I looked down to find my tunic had been removed, though my tights were still on. A metal tub filled with freshly warmed water was on the ground with a rag sitting out the top. Even though there was a fire crackling just a few feet away I was still rather cold. I guess the house just wasn't very well built, or at least not well maintained.

"Oh! You're awake!" said a high pitched voice. I strained my head as best I could to see over the top of the couch. I was welcomed to a surprising sight. Someone I hadn't seen in several years was there.

"You... Malon?" Yeah, it was Malon. And if she was here then that meant I had to be at Lon Lon Ranch. Lon Lon, that wasn't a name I thought I'd be hearing again. Though I guess last night I didn't think I'd ever hear anything again.

I strained myself trying to get up. My muscles were sore and every little movement made my body feel like it had been covered in oil and set ablaze. Of course I'd been near death plenty of times so this was nothing. Evidently though I must have looked worse than I felt because Malon dropped the rag she was holding and put her hands to her face in pure horror.

"Link!" she yelled. "Doesn't that hurt?! Look at you, you're bleeding everywhere!"

I looked down at my chest, sure enough she was right. I was covered in deep gashes that gushed out blood like water faucets. She had bandaged me up but it seems me moving had reopened all of my wounds. The sheer amount of blood was causing the gauze wrappings to become sticky and drenched with blood. Most people would probably pass out in this condition.

Me? I was used to it.

"D-Don't worry Link! I'll get some more rags and bandages! Just sit there a moment!" I watched her rush upstairs to get the medical supplies as I lied back down. I turned my head to check out my surroundings as best as I could. I couldn't see much but what I could was terrible. The house was in complete disrepair. Gaps in the building were everywhere, it was freezing, mouse droppings could be seen near several holes in the walls. If I hadn't seen Malon, I'd think a blind old lady who couldn't take care of herself lived here, rather than a young red haired woman who helped run one of the most prestigious ranches in all of Hyrule.

I heard footsteps coming and decided to close my eyes to make it look like I was resting. I didn't want to worry her. I figured if it looked like I was calm about it, maybe that might calm her down. Evidently though I was wrong. Rather than thinking I was resting she instead thought I was dead and began to panic, ripping off the bandages and hurriedly trying to put fresh one's on. She was so frantic to help me and I felt a little sad watching her panic. I placed my hand on her head and she snapped it up to look at me. I smiled and took the bandages from her hand showing her how to do it properly. She stood completely still watching me with a look that was part grotesque and amazed, probably because my wounds were so bad and the fact that I was still able to move. It was good to see her calm down once I was properly patched up. Seeing the relief on her face caused me to smile. It was strange, smiling. I hadn't done that since I saved Termina.

Of course, this was nothing but a brief glimmer in my otherwise endless depression. Time would pass and my wounds would heal and when they did I'd be leaving soon enough.

I always did.

With a sigh I laid my body back down on the couch. "Link," she asked. "Are you sure you're okay?" I nodded my head to assure her I was alright. I was a bit curios as to where I got the wounds. As I recall I was dying in the snow, but as of then I hadn't been wounded at all, just literally freezing to death. As if on cue though she answered my question just as I was about to ask.

"I... found you a few hours ago, lying in the snow. There was a pack of Wolfos clawing at you. I drove them away with Epona's help, but you were already badly hurt and..."

I put my finger to her lips. She didn't need to say anymore. Obviously the experience was traumatizing for her. Being an adventurer, I tend to forget that normal people haven't seen much so little things like that are big events to them. I patted her on the head and laid my head back down for the last time. I was exhausted and needed to sleep. Just as I was passing to the dream world I heard words I was never expecting to hear.

"Oh Link! Before you go to sleep I thought I should let you know. About two weeks ago a fairy named Navi came here looking for you. I told her you said you'd come back one day so I'm sure you'll see her again soon."

My mind tried to jolt me awake but my body wouldn't listen. I wanted to scream, to dance, to sing, but all I could do was fall asleep. As I drifted into dreams, a single happy tear rolled down my eye. I snuggled down into the couch as best as I could. For the first time in seven years my nightmares faded, replaced with the sweetest of dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, listen! It's me… Navi. Now I know how some of you think of me. You all have questions and you want… no. You EXPECT answers… and I guess I do owe you each as much. Well let's start with the biggest question on all of your minds: Why did I leave Link?

Well, it's actually a bit more complicated than you think. You all know our story, how I traveled all of Hyrule with him, how we saved it from the hands of a madman, and how that princess sent him back in time to become a kid again. But how much do you know about us really? I'll give you a hint.

Nothing.

You only know what you could learn from our story. But there's more… so much more.

Tell me do you know why every Kokiri has a fairy? Or why it's only the Kokiri? Or why fairies are able to bring back Link? Let me guess you think the Deku tree told us to. Or it's convenient because we live in the forest. Or we have magical powers so on and so on and yes, you'd be partially right.

But only partially.

See, fairies aren't normal creatures. Yes we're magical but there's more to it than that. We're not just magical, we're immortal. Fairies don't die. Well, not unless you kill them. And that's why things are so tricky for us. Fairies are social creatures. We love to be around and play with others and nothing's more fun than a good joke or trick. Why do you think the Skull Kid got along with Tattle and Tael so well?

So being the way we are, hanging out with children just feels… right.

But children aren't fairies. They grow up. Age. And eventually… they die.

That doesn't happen to fairies. Once we get a certain age, we stay that way, forever.

That's why we love Kokiri. The children there are just like us, immortal. They don't grow old, they stay perfectly the way they are forever and ever. And because of that we get eternal playmates. We don't have to worry about losing the one's we love, or getting bored, or anything like that, because so long as we're there to take care of them, then they'll be alright.

There's also other bonuses to being a fairy. For one thing we can bring back the dead. Well, the recently dead. If you've been gone for more than about ten minutes or so there's nothing we can do, but aside from that yeah, we can bring you back. How you ask? Well contrary to popular belief, it's not that hard. The spell to bring back the dead has been around for centuries, it's just not practiced. Why not? Well that's because the cost is your own life. Since we fairies are immortal, we can do it as much as we like. What's more Hyrule kingdom makes sure to punish anyone who even CONSIDERS the idea.

So that's why every Kokiri has a fairy. We take care of them like their parents, and they keep us company. It's a beautiful system that benefits everyone. Everyone… except Link and I. Because Link wasn't a Kokiri, he was a Hylian, and Hylians… they don't stay little children. They grow like everyone else… learn like everyone else…

Die like everyone else.

That's why I left Link, well mostly why. There are also these… feelings… I have. But we all know that wouldn't ever work out in anyway. So I gave up on that while we were still journeying. But feelings aside… I didn't want to watch him… didn't want to see him…

I'm sorry… I just can't say it. It's too hard…

But… after leaving… I found that was even harder.

I couldn't stand living life the way I was. I had returned to the Kokiri forest to live with my old fairy friends again, but things weren't the same. Or rather I should say I wasn't the same. I had always been a bit more well behaved than most fairies. The Deku tree used to joke that I was a great fairy trapped in a normal fairies body. But after adventuring with Link, after seeing the things I saw… well the childishness I used to have was gone. Sure I still loved a good joke or trick as much as the next person, but my life didn't revolve around them anymore. I was used to sitting in his hat, keeping my eyes and ears open for any sign of danger. I had witnessed whole fields of people and monsters slaughtered, had watched my best friend die nearly a hundred times over, and had witnessed things that no one could possibly convince me could be anything less than miracles. Even for a fairy I was just… too grown up.

And so after realizing I no longer belonged, I said my goodbyes and began my long search for Link. Years and years passed, feeling like an eternity. But no matter how far I searched I could never find him.  
I got close once. Just once. I managed to find that he had been in a village not a few days passed. I dashed after him, trying desperately to catch up. Two weeks I flew without stopping, desperately trying to bridge the gap between us. I cursed Epona, as if it weren't for her I'd had caught up before sundown of the first day. But I couldn't let that get to me. I was close, so close, to being happy again. Finally I arrived in a town and managed to find out from a kind old lady he was still here staying at an Inn across town. It was a large town and I was exhausted from flying but I put all the strength my tiny body had left in it to make it there.

When I finally arrived it was morning. I landed on a railing and took a good look around. My eyes were wild as they dashed back and forth trying to catch some glimpse of my old friend. And then I spotted him. He was older, probably around fourteen or fifteen at the time. He had become handsome, even if he did have a little acne. My heart fluttered as warmth and energy flooded me. My trials were over. I was home. As Link was packing his things onto Epona's back, I screamed the one thing I knew would catch his attention without fail. "Hey, listen!"

But fate had other plans.

My words never reached his ears. They never made it more than a few inches from my face. Just as I had shouted I found myself trapped in a glass bottle. I'll never forget how I felt that moment. When my world came skidding to a halt. I couldn't do anything at all. I didn't WANT to do anything. There was nothing inside of me. Emptiness, pitch black emptiness deeper than Lake Hylia and darker than the Shadow Temple. I didn't want to scream. Screaming seemed pointless. All I could do was tentatively touch the glass of my new prison as I watched Link dash away in the light of the dawn. I fell to my knees, my bleeding wings sagging on the ground as the realization of my situation struck me. I continued to watch wide eyed as tears began to fall from a face as blank as unused canvas.

I try my best not to think of what happened after that. I can easily say it was the darkest moment of my life. I remember the jar being plugged and lifted up. The person holding it turned so she could face me. It was a young woman, no older than thirty, and like me tears were streaming down her face, but when she saw me her face lit up into a smile, as though all her prayers had been answered.

She began running through the streets, winding this way and that as she raced to her destination. Finally we reached a house, if you could really call it that. It was more of a shack than it was a place to live, but I figure it was enough for her.

She began to fumble around with her keys before someone, a man who had also been crying, opened up the door. The woman held me up for him to see and just like her his face instantly brightened as he ushered us both into the "house". I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings since I was so distraught, but that was fine as there wasn't much there to remember. The place was almost empty and what little they did have was tattered, old, and broken. They rushed me to this little room that seemed slightly bigger than a walk in closet and there on the floor, lying on a makeshift bed of sheeps wool, was a sick little boy.

The couple uncorked the bottle and set it down to let me out. Slowly I crawled, my body trembling with the effort to move so much as an inch. When I finally tumbled out of that prison I looked up at the two of them. They began to plead, begging me to save their son. According to them they had no money to take him to a doctor and there was no way he'd last through the hour. I just stared at them with blank eyes as they continued to beg for what seemed like forever. When finally they had stated their entire case and fell silent I did the only natural thing.

I laughed in their faces.

Don't get me wrong, I feel horrible about that. But after everything I had been through, after the loneliness I had felt all these years, after having my heart ripped from my chest due to things outside of my control, it was all I could think to do. And I wasn't really laughing at them and I wasn't really laughing because I thought it was funny. Laughing just felt… appropriate. I looked at the irony of it all. All the searching I had done, the hard work I had put in to be happy again, and these people ripped all of that away from me so that THEY could be happy again. It just felt so wrong, so unfair. These people were going to get their happiness and they had done nothing to earn it yet there I sat on the verge of getting my own happiness which I had put in blood, sweat, and more than a few tears to achieve, only to have it ripped away. It was just too funny.

That's when the darkness started to creep into my heart. They didn't have to be happy. Their happiness hinged completely on me. Sure, I could use my magic to save their son, but they couldn't FORCE me to do it. Whether they were happy or not was entirely up to me!

When I realized that I only grew giddier, laughing harder and harder as I realized just what I could do. I could sit there, all powerful and make them watch their son die as I just laughed in their face. They deserved that much after what they did to me right?

RIGHT?!

In my hysteria I told them all of this. I told them of my journey, of the things I had had to do, of the things I had had to accomplish. I told them of the numerous times I had nearly died. Of how the only words that have come out of my mouth in years were "Have you seen a boy dressed all in green?". I told them of the days I went without food or water, of the nights I sat alone in the cold as nightmares flew through my head of the terrible things that could have happened to Link. I went on and on, raving like a madwoman, probably because in that moment I WAS a madwoman.

When I finally finished telling them my tale I demanded to know why they thought they, who had done NOTHING, were deserving of my help. They had a stroke of luck to find me, expecting me to fix all of their problems in return for what? A few thank you's  
and a "Be on your way sorry for capturing you like that."?

NO! I was not about to have it all end like that! I wanted them to suffer! Wanted them to work for their dreams! I wanted retribution! I wanted payment! I had lost everything and I deserved SOMETHING for my trouble! I had earned at least that much…

When I was finally done I looked at the couple now cowering in a corner, tears streaming down their faces. I looked back at the bottle and saw my reflection. My normally blue skin and dress was dyed red with the blood from my wings. My hair was wild and matted, and my eyes looked like they belonged to a rabid dogs. My face was twisted in some freakish smile and stains were on my cheeks from my tears. I remember looking at that reflection and watching the smile slowly fade as I calmed down. That reflection, that mad woman who reveled in the suffering of others, that wasn't me. That wasn't the girl who had traveled with Link.

And I thought about Link and what he'd say if he was here. I thought about the anger and sorrow in his eyes if he saw me this way. I could hear the disappointment in his voice as he looked away claiming he didn't know who I was anymore. And I saw him, ever so clear in my mind, walking away from me, leaving me once again all alone.

That twisted smile turned back into my usual blank stare. I held my head down in shame as tears once again began to pour from my eyes. I was wrong to treat these people that way. Just because they got lucky and I didn't wasn't any reason to hate them. It wasn't their fault all of this was happening to me. I brought it all about of my own accord by leaving Link in the first place. They didn't know about what I had been through, they didn't know about the things that had made my life a living hell. They simply saw a chance to fix things and took it, just like I would once I finally found him.

My head hung low I used what little strength I had to lift myself into the air. I circled around the child a few times chanting a song of healing to help him. Little by little the color returned to the poor boys face. Finally, my job done I whisked my way to the table and collapsed, too exhausted to do anything else. As the rosy colored cheeks of the boy began to move and his eyes started to open, the parents screamed out in glee, hugging their now healed child. As they embraced each other I took the time to rest and before too long, got up and flew out the building, returning to my search for Link.

After that I continued the way I always had, trying desperately to find him but always to no avail. Eventually I found myself at Lon Lon ranch. I didn't find him, but seeing Malon all grown up was a nice sight. That was about a week ago. There's a big part of me that says I need to return to the ranch. That good things will happen if I do. But I have another place to go, one I've been neglecting for quite some time out of fear. I've checked all the others, but always left this one alone.

It's time for me to check the Water Temple.


	4. Chapter 4

A room as white as snow, filled with mystic energy of unknown origin. In the middle an isle with a single silver tree, and under that tree sit's a lone figure, his garb and skin black as the night itself. He does nothing, his red eyes staring blindly into the distance. He merely sits, expressionless, motionless. As though waiting for something never to come.

A faint clicking sound occurs in the distance, like the opening of a door, but he makes no notice of it. A soft jingle echoes through the empty room. The entity knows someone else has entered, but he takes no heed of his newfound company.

Stopping in front of him Navi draws a short quick breath. Unable to believe her eyes, she meagerly mutters the words "Dark Link…? Wh-what are you doing here?"

Silence.

"Um… hello?" Navi tentatively draws closer.

More Silence.

Choking up all the courage she can manage, she struggles to ask her usual question. "I hate to ask but, have you seen Link anywhere? I kind of figured since you were his dark side and all maybe you had seen him."

For the first time in a self imposed eternity, Dark Link made a small movement, and closed his eyes. Without opening them he replied "I'm not Link's dark side."

Navi's eyes grew a little wider as she grabbed her hands behind her back, a puzzled expression on her face. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not Link's dark side."

Navi reached her right hand to her left shoulder, rubbing it a bit as she tilted her head and said "Well then… what are you?"

"Now I am nothing."

Navi continued to rub her shoulder, a clear sign she was nervous and uncomfortable. "Well then what were you?"

"An assassin sent by Ganondorf in the future to make sure his plans succeeded."

Navi gasped again. "But… we defeated Ganondorf! Are you telling me it was all for nothing?!"

Dark Link sighs, obviously quite annoyed with his guest. "I am an assassin born of Ganon's dark magic alongside the one you refer to as Phantom Ganon. The Ganon that created me is a different Ganon, one that defeated the Hero of Time and took over Hyrule, not the one you defeated. Having failed my mission I was stripped of my immortality and sent back here."

"And… what have you been doing since you were sent back."

"Sitting."

"Sitting?"

"Yes, sitting."

"Just like you are now?"  
"Just like I am now."

" And you haven't moved in… how long?"

"Twelve years."

Navi was so stunned by this revelation that she momentarily forgot to flap her wings causing her to fall to the ground, wide eyed and jaw slacked in wonder. "W-why?"

"Why what?"

"Why have you been sitting here doing nothing for twelve years?!"

"What else would I do? My very purpose for existing was to defeat Link and ensure Ganon's victory over Hyrule Kingdom. I failed in that purpose, so what else am I supposed to do now? "

"Why don't you just create another purpose on your own?"

Dark Link opened his eyes and turned them to the little blue fairy curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why don't you find out another reason for existing? Just say 'Hey I wanna do that!' and then go do it."

Knitting his brow he asked "Why would I want to do something?"

"You know, for fun."

"Fun?"

"You seriously don't know what fun is?"

"Is it a style of swordplay I have yet to learn?"

"What?! No! It's… well… it's you know… FUN!"

"I'm sorry, I do not understand."

Navi shook her head in exasperation. Dark Link was proving to be more difficult than the original. "Dark Link what do you know?"

"I know various forms of swordplay and hand to hand combat fighting styles. I know the cause of my existence as well as my various strengths and weaknesses. I have an extensive knowledge of Hyrules history and military strategies and a full storage center of information on people who live in this kingdom allowing me to use them at my leisure by pitting their personal issues against them."

"And do you actually enjoy all of those things?"

"En… joy?"

"What about happiness? Love? Do you know what those are?"

He shook his head slowly from left to right.

"You've never felt sorrow, or anger, or grief?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. Ganon only gifted me with knowledge that would assist me in my mission. He never gave me anything else."

Navi sat down and folded her arms. When Link had battled him years ago she had believed him to be nothing more than a shadow meant to test Link. She didn't realize that he was a living breathing person, although he certainly wasn't human.

She felt sorry for him. He didn't have anything else to go on in life. He only knew how to fight, beyond that he didn't know anything else about the world at all. She believed he would have all of Links knowledge and experience about the world. But if all he knew was battle then he was completely different from Link… or was he?

Navi continued to think, comparing the two to one another and slowly but surely it dawned on her. He WAS just like Link. When she traveled with Link she had to constantly nag him and teach him about proper social etiquette. He had lived his whole life as an outcast among the Kokiri, his only friend being the kind and beautiful Saria.

When he was young he constantly got into fights with Milo and the other children. He had grown up that way, fighting everyday. By the time he was the same age as the others he was easily the strongest of them all. Then when he got his fairy and everything started looking up, he found out he wasn't even a real kokiri and that he had now choice but to go off into this dangerous new world he had never seen before and fight beasts he knew nothing about.

Even meeting normal people was a challenge for him. Living in a forest filled with immortal children made him awkward and strange compared to most of the people of Hyrule. It was a battle just to have a conversation with someone.

Then when he was finally getting into the groove of things, he lost out on seven years of his life, and had to save the world while growing accustomed to a new body and new ways of interacting with people. After all, an adult couldn't get away with things the same way a kid did.

Then the day came where he defeated Ganondorf. He restored peace to Hyrule, saved the princess and the triforce, and at last it was over. Everything was finally over. Or so he thought. In one last twist of fate, Zelda sent him back in time. And even though his mind and heart was aged with all that he had seen, he was somehow expected to relive a childhood that had long since been lost.

Navi had thought of these things before, but sitting here in front of Dark Link really made it hit home for her. She realized then that the real Link wasn't much different. When she thought about his whole life, she realized that the only consistent thing that was there for him was fighting. Fighting the Kokiri, fighting monsters, fighting himself, fighting society, fighting to save a friend, to save a species, to save a kindgom. Always always fighting, with no end in sight.

The only other consistent thing he ever had was her. Through everything other than his early days among the Kokiri she had been by his side. But when he needed her most… she abandoned him. Abandoned him because of what was in her heart…

And yet, he still searched for her. After all that she did, he still loved her.

Once again, Navi started to cry.

Dark Link sat there watching her. As if by instinct, he picked up the little crying fairy who yelped in surprise, and placed her in his hat. Pushing up the front edge to poke out her head she looked down at the dark entity now sitting back in his previous position.

"Dark Link, what did you do that for?"

"I… I don't know. There was a hard knotted feeling in my gut, and this seems like the only way to make it stop."

It was then Navi realized he could feel, he just didn't understand what the emotions were. Her mind off Link for a moment she began to ponder just how she could help him, before becoming distracted by a warm sensation that was tingling all over her body. She looked down and realized steam was rising from where she was lying.

"Dark Link! You're on fire!"

He calmly shook his head. "No I'm fine. I'm a being of darkness and you're a creature of light, my body gets hurt when it touches you."

"What?! I need to get off then!" Navi struggled to pull herself free from his hat put dark Link just pinned her back down.

"There's no need for that. Just stay there until you're rested. I'll be dead soon anyways so it's not as though it matters."

"Wait… what?"

"I said I'd be dead soon."

"Dead?! Why?!"

"I told you, Ganon stripped me of my immortality. Sure I can survive for a long time without food or water, but I can't last forever. I suspect I only have a few hours of life left. You're welcome to help yourself to my corpse in anyway you see fit."

While the comment of using his corpse could have been left out, Navi couldn't sit by and watch Dark Link die. She had to do something. She had to do it because it was the right thing to do. After everything she had done, after all she had been through, she couldn't just let another person pointlessly die. Dark Link hadn't even lived yet. He didn't know HOW to live. Yet he was just supposed to fade away? Without anyone there to care or an understanding of why? It was unfair.

That's when the gears started to turn in Navi's mind. Slowly she realized that this was it. This was the answer to her problems. She'd have to take on all sorts of responsibilities, but that was alright. If she did this, she could even achieve THAT dream with enough work!

Navi nudged herself out of Dark Link's hat and hovered in front of his face. "Hey, listen. I'm going to heal you okay? After that, we're going to leave the water temple and go on an adventure to search for Link. While you're with me, I'm going to teach you about the world and help you find a purpose. Okay?"

A look of surprise crossed Dark Links face, one she wasn't expecting to see. "But if you do that you'll-"

Navi put her hand over his mouth. "Shh… I know. And it's okay. I don't mind really. Now close your eyes. Yes, just like that."

Navi flew up and around him several times, just like she had done a million times before. Her deed done, she haphazardly flew into the ground a ways away. Dark Link stood up and began to walk towards her but she held up a tiny hand telling him to keep away.

He watched as slowly but surely Navi began to grow. Her transformation took quite sometime and seemed to be more than a little painful. But when at last it was finished, she was indistinguishable from any average Hylian. Her hair was blue of course, and flowed to the middle of her shoulders. Pointy ears sprouted from her head and appeared to be wearing nothing more than a light blue nightie with white frills lining the bottom.

She grudgingly opened her eyes, squinting from the pain. She sat up and took the moment to look at herself. She was a Hylian. A flesh and blood Hylian. And it was all thanks to a little curse. Or, at least it was supposed to be a curse. Creatures of light and darkness aren't supposed to intermingle. If a creature of the light helps a dark one, they lose their immortality and most if not all of their powers. But that… that was exactly what she wanted. So long as she wasn't a fairy, she stood a real chance.

Just as she thought the word fairy though, she heard a little pop and suddenly she was airborne. Looking down as she fell she realized that she was back in fairy form. Concentrating as hard as she could on being a Hylian she tried to revert before she hit the ground and it worked. As she sat on her hands and knees she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up at Dark Link and smiled. "Alright, now we're all set. Let's go Nox."

Dark Link looked around before asking Navi "Who's Nox?"

"That's you. It takes too much to call you Dark Link so I just named you Nox. I think it fits better anyways. So yeah, that's your new name!"

"Nox eh? Alright I'll try to remember it."

Together with Nox, Navi exited the water temple. It was difficult at first as the sunlight apparently caused him pain. Not enough to do any real damage, but enough to make him less than eager to leave the temple. Deciding to leave after sundown they waited at the temple exit. When finally they emerged on dry land, Navi took a look around and gave some thought to her next destination. When she came up with the perfect place she looked at Nox and asked him if he had a faster way to travel than just by foot.

Nox held out his hand and closed his eyes. A black liquid started to bubble out from the ground like oil and a figure began to rise from the small pool. What came out was a horse just as black as Nox with the same scary red eyes. "His name is Shadow. He's a dark steed Ganon gave to me in case I decided to fight Link on horseback, though this is the first time I've ever actually summoned him."

With a newfound glee in her step, Navi told Nox exactly where to go, and so their adventure began.


	5. Chapter 5

Third Era of Hyrule 229

Friday

Dear Diary,

It seems Link isn't the type to stay in bed for very long. It's only been two days and he's already up and about. I keep trying to get him to lay down and rest but he absolutely refuses. Says there's too much work to do! I keep trying to tell him that he doesn't need to be helping me as he's my guest and injured to boot, but he just won't listen. I can't say I'm upset about it though. Even with all his injuries he's an incredibly hard worker. He gets twice as much done in half the time so I really can't complain as much as I'd like to. Especially not with the shape the ranch is in…

It's funny though. I thought Link would be this kind of perfect adventurer type of guy but… he's really not. In fact… he's kind of an idiot. Don't get me wrong he's definitely not dumb. No he's easily the smartest guy I've ever met. I'm sure he could make some of the scholars in the castle look like grade-schoolers. The problem is he just doesn't know how to react to things properly, especially when he encounters a problem.

Whenever something goes wrong he just gets so angry. He never really loses control but he definitely has a short fuse. I can't say I'm surprised though, he's been fighting his whole life so I'm sure he's used to solving most issues with the point of his sword. Luckily I'm used to that kind of thing. Living here on the farm I'm used to the animals acting all crazy at things that would normally not bother them so in that way he's really no different than any of the other critters that live here. All I have to do is start humming a song and sure enough he'll calm down, and once you get him calm there's no limit to the things he can do.

For example, yesterday I was freaking out because the grain mill had suddenly broken down. With no money and no supplies to fix it with I ended up just sitting there crying. I honestly believed my life was over. Without that mill I couldn't get the grain I needed to feed my animals and if I didn't feed my animals then it was all over for me.

Link heard me crying and rushed in to see what was wrong. I told him through my tears and he knelt down in front of it telling me to just calm down and do some other chores while he fixed it. After about half an hour of cleaning the Cucco coops I went to check on him but he was still sitting in that exact same position. When I opened my mouth to speak he raised his hand like he was telling me to be quiet. I didn't know what else to do so I just let him be. Fifteen minutes later he came running over to me asking if I had a spare metal knife that was half a foot long, scraps of old newspapers, a rusted bucket and some glue. I looked at him like he was insane but told him where he could find it all. I saw him rushing into the mill with all that stuff in his arms and in a few minutes I heard the sound of the mill cranking back up again.

I dropped the boards I was going use to fix the fence for the hundredth time and ran back to him. There he was standing there, shirtless with a broken knife in his hands. Somehow he had rigged together a contraption that got the whole thing working again. In fact it's working better now than it had been before!

Link's a little weird and he's got a couple of anger issues, but he's definitely a good guy.

So I just woke up a little while ago to find myself covered by a new blanket. I went downstairs to get a small bit of water to drink and found Link cuddled up under my old blanket. You know the one with all the holes in it that keeps you about as warm as lying naked in the snow? I'm trying to keep my emotions in check, but to think that he'd give me his personal blanket and take mine… he really is such a good guy.

* * *

Third Era of Hyrule 229

Tuesday

Dear Diary,

Remember how I said Link was a little weird? Yeah… he just got weirder. Well it was less weird and more really REALLY awkward. Though after a little bit of explaining it was just plain funny!

Okay so it goes like this: I woke up a little later than usual and started getting ready when I walked into the bathroom. When I stepped inside I found Link in there already getting out of the shower and drying himself off (AND BEFORE YOU ASK, NO! I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING!). My face must have turned as red as my hair as I slammed the door shut and apologized. As I was trying to get my breathing straight I heard the door open up behind me and there was Link wearing nothing but a bath towel (which looked more like a dress on him as long as it was). He looked me up and down and asked if anything was wrong. Me being my usual self wasn't able to say a word because I was just so embarrassed, but the situation didn't seem to bother him at all.

Eventually I managed to tell him I was sorry for intruding and he looked at me like he was really confused. After staring at me with a raised eyebrow for a few seconds he reached behind himself and grabbed a small blue notebook out of his hat. He flipped a couple of pages and stopped to read before going "Ah!" and nodding his head.

He continued to read it as he told me it was alright and that it wasn't a big deal. Curious I asked him what the book was. Apparently he had a really hard time recognizing social cues, as he hadn't been around other people very much all his life. So Navi wrote him a little book filled with the basic Do's and Don'ts of society for reference whenever she wasn't around. When he said that he grew a little sad, but he perked up again when I reminded him that Navi would be returning soon.

With him around there's always something funny going on. I've learned never to let him near the Cuccos though. Every time he gets within twenty feet of one a war zone breaks out in the middle of the ranch. Cuccos start flying everywhere trying to attack him. At first I thought it was all his doing, until I watched them attack out of nowhere and for no reason with my own eyes. I'm going to watch them close from now on, maybe I can find a way to get them to leave Link alone (and vice-versa).

It's gotten a lot less lonely with Link here on the ranch. I finally have someone to talk to aside from the animals, not to mention my old friend Epona is back! I'm still pretty lonely. I mean I don't really even know Link that well. I mean yeah he's cool, and not at all bad looking! Teehee! But… sometimes he just seems so much… older. I knows he's been on some serious adventures. I mean outside of the royal family, he's the only one with zero restrictions when it comes to Hyrule Castle. I used to hear rumors about how he'd just walk into the kings dining room, sit down and have a meal with them as though he were part of the family. They trust him completely. He's even an official member of the royal guard, although I hear he's not technically on the active duty roster.

It all makes me wonder: Just what HAS Link done? What has he seen? What kind of stories could he tell? I've seen him with his shirt off several times now and while he's plenty attractive, he definitely has his fair share of battle scars.

It seems so surreal at times. Like it can't be true. I've lived with Link for about a week now and to be honest… he seems more like a little kid prone to temper tantrums than a battle hardened veteran of war. I wonder what he'd look like in a fight. He's almost completely healed up now so he'd pretty much be at full strength. Though if I really think about it, I'm not sure I actually want to know…

* * *

Third era of Hyrule 229

Wednesday

Dear Diary,

Ingo came over and Link's fully healed. I'm glad for him really. He's been here for two weeks now and I'm so happy to have him around. With him here the work gets done at crazy speed. When I got the letter from Ingo yesterday saying he was coming over to help I let both Link and I take a slightly earlier break so we could get some rest. We had to make today a get-r-done day, and did we ever get stuff done!

-The fences are fixed  
-The holes in the roof and walls have been repaired  
-The stables are completely cleaned out, repaired, and repainted  
-The grain mill was properly fixed  
-The sign outside the ranch was repainted  
-The gates leading into the ranch were replaced  
-The Cuccos were given a proper pen so they couldn't bother Link  
-Ingo even gave me some money as a new year's present!

We got so much done and I was able to buy some new equipment with the money he gave me (as well as some much needed blankets)! After all the hard work we sat down and had a huge meal, all three of us. I was so happy! And it was so great to have everyone there with me. After spending that whole year sad, alone, and cold, this was easily one of the happiest moments of my life!

I just woke up from a terrible nightmare. It was the one with the bandits again. After a day like today I guess it only makes sense that this nightmare would come in and ruin it. And just when I thought it was gone for good too.

You know how Lon Lon sits smack in the middle of Hyrule Field right? Well since there aren't that many trees around it can sometimes make us a target for… well for bandits. I haven't had any trouble since dad passed away and Ingo left, but I know it's going to come sooner or later. Just like it did that day.

In the dream the bandits attacked Dad. They're a mix of rogue Gerudo women and Hylian men. They charged him in the middle of the night and almost impaled the horse with a spear. But Dad managed to steer the carriage away knocking some of them out. But it was to no avail. There were just too many. They overpowered Dad, ripped the carriage apart, and stole everything inside and then just left what was left of him lying on the ground.

Nothing they did had a purpose. They didn't need any of that stuff, they were just doing it for fun. Cackling at the lazy fat old man and his dead body. Two hours pass by and the sun has risen. A group of Hyrule patrolmen find his body. Then I wake up. Always at the same place. I'm sick and tired of that dream, why won't it just leave me alone?!

* * *

Third Era of Hyrule 229

Thursday

Dear Diary,

I'm scared. Not just scared… I'm absolutely petrified. So far I've only done the most mandatory chores today. Everything else I'm just going to let slide. I woke up this morning and called for Link to wake up (After all he can be pretty lazy sometimes). But I didn't get a response. I looked around as hard as I could but I didn't see him anywhere. Finally I made my way to the bathroom to find a note on the door.

_Dear Malon, _  
_If you're finding this, that's good. That means Navi's instructions worked out right. Now don't be alarmed. I'm not at the ranch at the moment. I have some urgent business to take care of with the Gorons. Don't worry it's nothing dangerous. I'll be back in about a week. If Navi comes let her know I'll be home soon okay? Take good care of the ranch until I get back alright? _

_ Your Friend, Link_

I froze up. Exactly one year ago today I got a note just like this. Don't worry, he said. It's nothing dangerous, he said. Be back in a week, He said.

But Daddy never came home again…

Please don't let it happen again.

Link please… please come home.

I don't want to be alone again….


	6. Chapter 6

I looked up at the moon, shining bright on Hyrule field. It was a cold morning and I knew Malon would be awake soon. I didn't mean to leave so suddenly, but I got a message from the Gorons telling me that the thing I had asked for was ready and I didn't have long before it would be gone so I had to hurry. I wish I could have told her in person, but I didn't want to ruin her great day by waking her up from her sleep and telling her I had to leave. Besides, with what I was going to do I was sure she'd forgive me.

Epona whinnied a bit, probably due to the cold. I couldn't blame her, the entire field was covered in snow and I was bundled up from head to toe. Luckily our destination was Death Mountain so at least it wouldn't be too bad for too long.

It took a while but I eventually managed to make it to Kakariko by sundown. I pulled out the spare rupees I happened to have and purchased a room at the local inn. It had been a while since I had been here so before calling it a day I took a stroll around town. There was snow here, just like everywhere else in Hyrule, but there was much less of it and what little there was had been dyed with an ashy tint due to the soot from Death Mountain.

I looked around and found that the Cucco Lady's house was empty and boarded up. I asked a neighbor about it and he said that she went to go live in Castle Town shortly after a small boy dressed all in green stopped visiting. Apparently when she was younger she lost her only child as well as the ability to have another, and I showed up sick with a deadly fever the day she found out. After that she spent a good portion of her time just caring for me and one day I just didn't return. She moved to castle town to work as an innkeeper though the old man who was telling me all of this said he heard she wasn't doing very well. I made a mental note to visit her the first chance I had and continued on my way. The Skulltula family was rich and powerful again, but weren't vain like they had been in the past. They put their all into caring for the poor and were charitable to everyone they met. I guess some people really do learn their lessons.

Time whittled away and I grew tired so I returned to the Inn to rest. As the first rays of dawn filtered in through my window I opened my eyes. Getting out of bed I placed on my red tunic as I would need it for days to come and packed up my things.

The climb up the mountain was long and perilous. As always, boulders were cascading down from the mountainside. Luckily for me though I was used to their pattern by now. So much so that it was a personal pleasure of mine to walk up with my eyes closed, listening to the rocks tumbling and timing it just right so that I had just barely enough time to dodge, not that they would have hurt me much anyways. I must have spent two hours like that with my eyes closed just dodging rock after rock as it came hurtling towards me. I have to say it was quite a bit of fun but all good things must come to an end.

Finally I reached the entrance of the Goron city. Many of them took notice of me and waved. It was good to see everyone again as I hadn't been there in quite some time. I made my way down to the bottom of the city where the chief's room was and of course I was greeted by a huge, manly Goron hug. But I had grown a lot over the years and for once I was able to give a hug as good as I got.

He reeled back a bit and laughed. "HAR HAR! So little Link finally has enough strength to match that of Ol' Darunia now does he?! I couldn't be prouder of my brother! Now tell me what brings you here lad?"

"You know what Darunia." I said with a smile on my face.

"Aye of course I do. Come on now we don't have much time. I followed him through the city as we made our way to a massive elevator. We stepped on it alongside many other Gorons who were going down either to eat or to work. I knew that once I went down I'd be here for a while so I prepared myself mentally. I heard a Goron shout "GOING DOWN!" and looked around as the gears began to clank and the elevator dropped.

"So Link, why do you need all of those things? Don't get me wrong, you just don't seem the kind to be so frivolous with that type of stuff."

"I'm not. It's a gift for a friend. She's been rather kind to me lately and life's been a little rough on her. I wanted to giver her something nice in return for the kindness she's shown me." Darunia folded his arms and let out a huge laugh.

"IS THAT SO? I wouldn't expect anything less from a brother of mine! Here among us Gorons precious gems and rare metals are just delicacies for eating, but among Hylians they're great, and expensive gifts especially for the women folk I hear! You certainly know how to repay kindness brother Link!"

I just smiled and chuckled as the elevator continued to wind down. The heat grew more and more intense. If it weren't for the tunic I was wearing I was sure I would have died of dehydration on the way down.

After a short ride we reached the bottom. Gorons were everywhere, rolling in and out of tunnels, sitting at stone benches eating their meals. I followed Darunia as he led me to a small room. There was a stone bed with a stone chair and table as well as a stone dresser. Everything was made of stone. Not that I could say I was surprised. It was the Gorons after all. I put my things away and followed Darunia to the next room over.

There it was, the thing I had come here for. The master forge of the Goron tribe. Here they had everything I needed. Darunia handed me the precious gems and metals they had collected for me and I set to work. It was going to be a long week, but the look on her face would make it all worth it.

"Now Link, are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I've forged things plenty of times before, Darunia. All I need is for someone to set the stones and do the engravings." Darunia hit his chest with his fist to show he understood and left. I smiled and continued with my work.

Hours turned to days and before I knew it I was done. Exhausted and covered in a years worth of sweat, I collapsed onto the rock bed in my room. After drinking down what must have been a few gallons worth of water I pulled myself up and grabbed the gift I had made. I returned to Darunia who said that he had a friend who was perfect for inlaying the stones and doing the engravings. In the meantime though, he thought I should get some rest and I had to agree. Sleep was very necessary.

When I woke up the next morning I headed back up the elevator to the main central city and headed to Darunias home. He spotted me walking over to him and waved. As I stepped up, he motioned to my right where I saw a small package wrapped in burlap cloth.

I opened it up and smiled. It was even more amazing than I had dreamed. The stones were flawlessly cut and the engraving was beautifully written. I couldn't wait to show it to her. She was sure to be excited! I thanked the Gorons and turned to leave but was interrupted.

"Aye where do you think you're going? We haven't given ya yer gift yet brother!"

I raised my eyebrows in curiosity. "A gift? What is it?"

Darunia motioned for some of the other Gorons to come over. They carried another parcel wrapped in the same type of cloth. I removed it and gasped, my eyes growing wide. It was the Master Sword. Well not THE Master Sword… but an almost identical replica.

Darunia leaned down and whispered into my ear "The Master Sword was forged here in this mountain. As a sage of fire I remember all the things that are forged in my domain, and what happens to them. While I may not remember exactly what you did Link, the Master Sword does, and it sang to me of your triumphs and glories as you wielded it in battle. I thought it only fitting to give you at least something close, even if you couldn't hold the real one again."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at Darunia. I managed a meager thank you and returned to Kakariko village, my new sword slung across my back. I stayed another night at the Inn before getting up the next morning to return to Lon Lon Ranch.

Rather than head straight home though I took a small detour. Remembering my mental note from earlier I went to go visit Hyrule Castle Town to the Inn that Anju the Cucco Lady ran. Stopping in front of it I could tell the guy was right. The sign was rickety and old. The building had plain white wash walls and some windows with old bleached brown curtains one of which was broken. I stepped inside being careful to watch the door as I was afraid it would fall off the hinges.

Walking in I had to duck out of the way as the bell that rang when the door was opened almost fell on my head. Picking it up and looking around I found the place to be practically empty. The hardwood floors were rickety and worn. And a single table sat off to my far right with two chairs, one broken beyond repair. Cobwebs seemed to cover every thing from the ceiling to the windows to the wall.

A single large counter stood on the top right side of the room. It had small rectangles that allowed you to see what was on the inside for items on display. Unfortunately all I could see was a chipped plate, an old piece of folded up paper and more cobwebs. Standing behind the desk was a middle aged woman with short red hair. She wore a burgundy vest with a long sleeved white shirt underneath and a long blue skirt. She was tall, pale, and rather bony. She didn't look skeletal, just underfed.

She just stood behind the desk leaning her pale face against her hand as she stared into nothingness. I walked over to her and stood there for a moment but she didn't seem to notice me. Not knowing what else to do I put the broken bell on her desk and said "Hey Anju. Your bell broke."

With a start she looked up at me. She blinked a few times before saying in almost a whisper "L… Link?" I smiled politely down at her as her eyes started to fill with tears. Using what little strength she had, she lifted herself onto the counter and hugged me around the neck. I held her tightly as she sobbed into my tunic. "Oh Link! Oh Link you're back! I'm so glad to see you!" I patted her head gently as she continued to cry. When she finally managed to get enough of a break in her tears to talk I sat next to her on top of the counter and explained why I was here.

"Ah… so old man Jenkins told you that huh? I'm sorry for using you like that Link… I just… I just wanted my child back and…"

"It's okay Anju. Believe me I understand. I came to you for much the same reason. I never had a mother and at the time I didn't have any friends. Going to your house was just like having a mom of my own. If anything I should be the one apologizing. I should have told you I wasn't going to be back for a long time. Forgive me." I bowed my head a bit in shame. I truly did feel very guilty. It's mostly my fault that she ended up in this state.

She forgave me of course and like any mother when their child returns home from a trip, pulled out some food and forced me to sit down and tell her everything that happened. So naturally I told her how I purchased Epona, how I wound up wandering the lost woods, how I ended up in Termina, meeting and stopping the skull kid, and all of the other journeys I'd had while searching for Navi. When she asked if I had found her I looked away and she understood. But when I told her about meeting Malon and how she said Navi had promised to return to the ranch someday, I was pleased to let Anju know that I was now staying at the ranch with her.

Naturally though she teased me about Malon and I being in a relationship but I tried my best to ignore her. She asked why I was all the way out here in castle town when I lived at the ranch. At that I reached into my satchel and pulled out the gift I had made, still wrapped in cloth. I uncovered it and her eyes grew wide as she did a spit take.

"You… you MADE this?! Like… in a forge?!" I nodded, proud of myself.

"Yeah, though I had someone else set the stones and do the engravings."

"Oh Link she is going to love this!"

"I certainly hope so. The metal it's made out of is a huge delicacy among the Gorons so I had to get there fast in order to make sure no one ate it. I didn't even have time to give her a proper goodbye…"

At that, Anju put it down and looked at me sternly. "You didn't leave a note did you?"

"Uh yeah… why? Was that bad? That's what Navi said to do in my book…"

"Most of the time when you're in a rush yes but… not for Malon. And not on that day of all days!"

Anju wrapped the gift back up and hurriedly placed it back in my satchel. She grabbed the dishes and my hat and threw them in the sink and on my head. "Link you need to leave. Now. Go to her quickly!"

"What? But why? It hasn't been that long?"

"Link you know that her father is dead right?" I nodded my head. That was one of my first questions after she found me. She had told me had died almost a year ago then. "Link, did she tell you HOW he died?"

"No… no she didn't. What happened?"

"A shipment Talon ordered had arrived sooner than he had expected so Talon left a note saying he'd be back in a week… but he never returned. He was found two weeks later off the side of one of the roads by a patrol of soldiers. He had been robbed by bandits. Link, the day he left that note was exactly one year ago last week."

I caught my breath. I had made a horrible mistake. Malon was probably at home right now terrified out of her mind and it was all my fault. Anju was right, I needed to go and now. I told her thank you, gave her a quick hug, and dashed out the door and down the street. I hopped on Epona and spurred her to go. At first she refused, but when I said Malon was in trouble and it was all my fault the horse's ears perked up and she gave me a death glare before taking off at full gallop.

We rode for a full day without stopping, both of us desperate to see Malon. I kept her gift tucked tight under my arm, refusing to let go. This was the only way I could apologize to her. I had to make it up to her… I just had to.

With the moon high in the sky, we finally we reached Lon Lon. Epona and I didn't even bother to unlock the gates, we just jumped over them. I hopped off of her and dashed into the house. I looked around and found Malon lying on the couch, clutching the note I had written a week prior. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. I breathed a sigh of relief to find she was fast asleep, but that relief didn't last long. I looked her up and down and was shocked by what I saw.

Malon's hair was matted and her hands and feet were filthy, not to mention her dress. It didn't look, or smell, like she had changed since I left. The note in her hand didn't fair any better. It was torn up and covered in mud and other residue I couldn't identify, like she hadn't let go of it since she picked it up. I looked behind me to see the state the rest of the house was in and was surprised to find nothing had changed. I mean literally nothing. The dishes were still where we left them after eating that night, save for a few more that had been added to the pile, bits of paper and other trash still littered the floor from when I had left. It was an absolute mess.

I put my head down and shook her awake. She opened her eyes and started to cry. "Link? Link?! LINK!" she screamed as she wrapped me in a hug. She tried desperately to talk through the tears while I just held her and rocked back and forth, stroking her head gently. "I'm so glad… so glad you're… you're okay! I thought… I thought it would be just like… just like last time! Like when Daddy left me all alone! I thought I was going to be alone Link! I don't want to be alone again! Please don't leave me alone again!" She continued to sob and sob for what seemed like forever. And I just continued to hold her. What else could I do?

Finally the tears dried up and she came back to her senses. Wiping away the last of her tears she looked me deep in the eyes. "So… Link, what was so important that you had to leave almost without saying a word?"

Finally the moment of truth. "About that Malon. It was actually a gift, for you." She looked a bit taken by surprise, but I guess that was to be expected. She probably worried I was out saving the entire race of Gorons or something. Yet here I had returned only for her to find out that my grand adventure was just a present for her. I'm sure she must have been shocked.

"A-A present? For me?"

"Yeah. I wanted to thank you. You know for letting me stay here with you and for looking after me while I was injured. I figured a gift was the least I could do so I asked the Gorons for a hand and they gave me the stuff I needed to make it."

"Oh. Okay well um… what, what is it?" she was blushing. I never really noticed before but she was rather cute whenever she blushed.

I reached my hand into my satchel and grabbed the present. I handed it to her and motioned her to open it. Slowly he untied the strings and pulled the rough cloth out of the way and I got the satisfaction of watching her mouth drop open as she held up the gift I had made.

Slowly she brought it up so it could twinkle in the light. In her hand she held a beautiful silver tiara made to look like the princess's. She turned it towards herself and gazed into the sapphire jewel sitting square in its center. I watched her turn it around over and over in her hands as her eyes sparkled like a little girl's. Eventually she noticed the engraving on the inside that said Princess Malon. She looked up at me with huge puppy dog eyes like she was asking 'Is this really for me?'. I just smiled and motioned for her to put it on. Slowly she reached up and placed it on her head and I have to say, even as messy as she was she still looked absolutely stunning. I reached over and grabbed a mirror so she could see herself in it. "Do you know what day it is?" I asked after letting her look for a bit.

"S-Sunday?" she breathed. She couldn't take her eyes off the mirror. I just chuckled as I wrapped her in a quick hug.

"Happy Birthday Malon."


	7. Chapter 7

Hi, I'm Navi. I'm wet, I'm cold, I'm hungry, and Hylian bodies are extremely fragile and unstable. If I didn't care for Link like I did I would NEVER have made this decision! Everything's so much harder when you're mortal. Your stomach growls like crazy if you don't eat three meals a day, you can't just ride on people's heads, you have to use your feet to go EVERYWHERE. Seriously, how do you guys do this? I've been a Hylian for two or three weeks now and I can hardly stand it!

What's worse, Nox and I are completely lost in the middle of… well of the Lost Woods. Oh, and did I mention it's RAINING? No? Well it is. And I don't have shoes and that stupid shadow horse can't be used during the daytime and I haven't eaten all day and I didn't get any sleep last night and… I just wanna lay down and cry.

On the upside I haven't lost all of my powers. It looks like I can stay in fairy form for a few hours a day so at least I get a break. Nox is made of dark magic to so he's still much more resilient than I am.

Anyways, let me catch you up. Nox and I left the water temple in order to head to Kokiri forest. I hadn't been back since I left so I figured I might as well go see Saria. Unfortunately however, now that the Great Deku Tree is at full power and Nox is a creature of darkness we couldn't get in the normal way. So instead we headed up the pathway to Zora's Domain and used the Lost Woods portal that was there. But then the Lost Woods did what the Lost Woods does… got us lost.

We tried looking around forever but we just kept going in circles. So here we are, Nox and I, trudging through the mud that is the ground of the Lost Woods.

We sat down to take a break. Even though it was daytime, Nox didn't have an issue being outside at the moment. Between the clouds and the trees the light was barely bothering him at all. And even if he had been in pain, the rain would have cooled the aches of his steaming skin.

"Nox, when are we gonna get there?" I complained. I was exhausted and I just wanted a place to rest.

Nox was sitting Indian style on the ground fiddling with his equipment while I was taking a break. He looked up a little curious and said "Well I wouldn't know. I've never been here before. I was just following you. It's lucky we found this hole or we'd be soaked."

I sighed and looked around us. Just as the rain had begun to pour, we had found a tree we could use as shelter. The roots had all been upraised creating a kind of den that we could sleep in. It was small and a little cramped, but it certainly beat being outside in the cold rain.

I watched Nox pull out the little purple notebook I had made for him. It was just like Link's with a few minor tweaks to adjust to Nox being a creature of darkness.

At first I wasn't quite sure what to do about him. I wanted him to be able to live a happy life, but I didn't think about how hard interacting with others would actually be in his case. He wasn't like Link. He was born of darkness and it was pretty obvious he was. Black skin, red eyes? He was scary just to look at. As a test run I gave him a book perfectly identical to the one I gave Link and told him to study it. He was a good student, reading the book and carefully memorizing and practicing every detail. Nothing like lazy old Link!

Still though, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things, so of course I took him out for a test run in a village. It threw us somewhat off schedule, but Nox was my responsibility now. I had to look after him and making sure he could interact with others was part of that.

It was a strange experience. I made sure to take my fairy form. I figured that if a creature as pure and beautiful as a fairy was seen with him, then maybe people might give him a chance.

It was the middle of the day when we walked into a little village called Ordon, which stood right on the outskirts of Kokiri. I was surprised to find it even had access to a small part of the woods. There weren't that many people, a few adults, even fewer kids, a single swordsman to help with bandits, and a mayor. Aside from that there wasn't a soul in sight. The whole place made Kakariko look huge.

The kids were the first to notice us. They were a little timid when they saw Nox, but when they got a good look at me they started to get curious. Nox did exactly like my handbook said to do though, and squatted down so he could be on eye level with the kids and they wouldn't be so afraid of him. It took a little bit of coaxing on my part but I managed to get them to trust Nox.

Color me surprised when I saw him actually playing with the kids. As the kids danced around and sang songs, Nox was right there with them, a big smile on his face. He was still plenty awkward, but in the presence of children awkward was just fine, in fact it was nothing short of hilarious to them. Of course things couldn't last like that forever. Eventually one of the adults caught us.

He was a relatively tall, rugged looking man with sword at his hip. Great, I thought, we just got caught by the only person in the village who knew how to fight. We stood there a few moments in awkward silence as the swordsman looked us up and down. Nox slowly reached for his sword, ready for a fight. I made a mental note to teach him to be a little slower to react to hostility. I didn't want Nox slicing perfectly innocent people up when he could have just walked away and everything would have been fine.

The swordsman motioned for the kids to listen to him for a moment and they all ran over to him. "Now children, I know you're having fun but it's time to go home." Of course the children began to whine and complain, but the swordsman just held up his hand with a smile and they all went silent. He must have been very well respected to do that. "I know you want to play some more with your new friend, but he has places to go to. Take a good look at him. He's carrying a sword and shield, has a fairy flying over his head, he obviously is a wandering adventurer out on some great quest to save a kingdom. Perhaps he's even been sent by our very own princess Zelda to defend our great land of Hyrule! He was playing with you to be kind, but now you need to stop taking up his time. Don't worry, I'm sure he enjoyed every minute of it."

The children all nodded their heads as they ran off in a scurry, laughing and jumping and waving goodbye. The swordsman then looked at us with quizzical eyes for a while before speaking. "My name's Rusl by the way, and you should leave before the other villagers find you. Don't worry, I'll tell the children to keep you hush hush. They'll listen to me. But if the others find you we'll be forced to fight."

I zoomed in front of Nox who was tightening his grip on his sword. "Wait, you're not going to attack us?"

To my surprise, Rusl just laughed. "No no. That would be like attacking a baby. A very powerful baby, but a baby nonetheless."

"What do you mean?"

"Miss Fairy, your friend here may be a creature of the dark but his heart is empty."

"Hey! Now listen here you! He has a big heart! Didn't you see the way that he was playing with those kids?!"

"That's not what I mean Miss Fairy."

"My name is Navi!"

"Navi then. What I mean is his heart is literally empty. There's no light in it, but there isn't any dark in it either. It's an empty bottle, a blank slate, just like a newborn baby. I can see that and so I know he's no threat to us. But I'm afraid the others will not be able to see past the color of his skin and hue of his eyes so before that happens, please go. Ah, but know that if his heart fills with light and you are in a time of need, you are more than welcome to seek my assistance, whatever that may amount to."

We wished him farewell and left the tiny village as the sun began to set, making our way up the path to Zora's Domain. Nox looked at me and spoke. "Navi, when I played with those children, I was smiling right? Does that mean I was having fun?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah Nox, it does."

"Ah… I see. I had this light feeling in my chest that made me want to jump around and move my body in strange ways. Does that always happen when you have fun?"

"Often times, yes. But not every single time. Life is mysterious and emotions, especially how we react to them, can be hard to understand. Everybody is different you see? Some people have fun by running and playing, others can have just as much fun sitting down reading a book. It all depends on who you are and what you yourself like."

"So I like to move a lot when I have fun?"

"Maybe, then again maybe this was a one time thing. Maybe you only like to do that when children are around. We don't really know yet Nox. There's so much for you to see and so much you can do that there's no way of telling what you like to do most. Only time and experience will be able to tell."

Nox put his head down then, as though he were pondering what I had said. "I… think I understand."

"Don't let it stress you too much. You've got a long life ahead of you so just roll with it for now okay?"

He raised an eyebrow confused. "It's a figure of speech Nox. Come on look, that's the entrance to the Lost woods. Let's go!" And yeah, you guys know the story from there.

Since then I've reverted back to my Hylian form. My hungry, needy, whiny Hylian form. If I had understood how hard Link really had it while we journeyed together, I don't think I would have nagged him quite as much.

"Navi," Nox called in his thick rich voice. I don't know why but it always reminded me of chocolate. "Is that a friend of yours?" I turned my head in the direction he was pointing. Off in the distance I saw a little ball of light. A fairy, just like me. But whoever it was wasn't from around here. Fairies didn't come in dark purple here in Kokiri woods. Whoever it was though must have been heading somewhere specific. Fairies couldn't fly for long in the rain.

"I don't know Nox but let's follow her!" We both got up and started to chase after the fairy. It was hard to run in the mud and shrubs and branches tried to trip us up at every passing opportunity, but somehow we persevered and managed to follow the fairy till the end.

We stopped in front of our new destination. I looked at the familiar sight, closing my eyes as the  
old memories rushed through my head again like a torrent. "The Forest Temple. I haven't been here since we saved Hyrule."

Unlike me Nox didn't waste any time walking in through the old rusted doors and I quickly followed suit. The inside was a little different than I remembered. The lanterns in the center of the hall were already fully lit as well as many other lanterns that hadn't been there before hanging up on the walls. All in all it was nicely lit, not to mention incredibly warm. In the center of the lanterns where the pillar we used to face Phantom Ganon used to be was a large hearth that gave off a beautiful flame. Tired, cold, and wet, we decided to sit down next to that and relax for a while.

I'm not sure when I fell asleep but I really wish I hadn't woken up when I did because I really didn't wake up to a pretty sight.

I opened my eyes and looked around in a half asleep haze. I kept hearing these loud crashing noises as my eyes adjusted to the light and the fuzziness left my head. Once I got a better view of what was in front of me I screamed. "NOX! NO!"

Nox was hanging in the air trying desperately to break free from the grip of the hand around his throat. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was him, Phantaom Ganon! I got up to my feet and tried charging him. I had only just taken Nox under my wing. I couldn't let it end here, especially not like this!

It was rather pointless though, Phantom Ganon just knocked me away with his other hand like it was nothing. I watched in horror as Nox struggled to break free of his captors hand. Struggle as we might he continued to just hold Nox in the air like a toy. He let out a deep, harsh laugh that sounded like a ghostly version of his namesakes. "Ha! I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show. Our former Master was so much more lenient with your punishment than mine. When he cast us back in this pit of a timeline he had the courtesy to let you go wherever you wished. Sure you'd be stuck here in this Goddess loving land, but at least you could go where you liked but I guess you never even left the room he sent you too having 'Lost your purpose, right?'. ME? Why I was sealed up in this blasted temple! Never again to see the dark of night! But that all comes to and end here and now. With your power, I can break my seals and wreak all the havoc that I please!"

Phantom Ganon started to squeeze harder and harder on Nox's throat. At first I thought he was going to kill him, until I noticed strange dark tendrils wrapping around his hand. They were coming from Nox!

I watched as slowly but surely Phantom Ganon stole Nox's dark energy and made it his own. The more he absorbed the more he began to look like the real Ganondorf. Vice-versa, the more Nox lost, the lighter his skin became and the more he began to look like Link.

My body was shaky from all the hits Phantom Ganon had thrown at me but I still tried to stand. I had to help him. I didn't want to watch him die. He had only just started to get to know the world. It was still too early for him to leave it.

But it was to no avail. Without even looking away Phantom Ganon shot a ball of dark light that exploded into a series of black chains that wrapped around my body pinning me, and our hope, to the ground.

I wept silently, sobbing helplessly on the floor as Nox's body went limp. No doubt he had passed out from losing too much of his energy. Since he was made of darkness, taking it away meant literally absorbing him. Take it all away and he'd fade into nothing.

In my desperation I sent up a plaintive prayer to anyone willing to listen. I didn't want to lose him. To be left all alone, my only conversational partner being the ghostly echo of my own voice in my own head. Anything but that. Of course, Phantom Ganon would probably kill me too once he realized who I was, and if that happened I'd never be able to see Link again.

I continued to lie there sobbing like a beaten dog, when all of a sudden I heard a loud smash, like a fist breaking through bone, and felt the room shake.

There, standing where Phantom Ganon had been not moments before, was a boy around Links age. He was a little shorter and seeing as how he kept dancing from foot to foot, I'd say he was a little more energetic. What was crazy about him was the way he looked. His clothes seemed a little reminiscent of the Kokiri, but seemed more tattered with some additions here and there. He wore a strange hat and seemed to be carrying a flute on his waist belt. There was no denying it, he was definitely a skull kid. But no skull kid I'd ever seen before, and while I know that Skull Kids liked to wear different types of masks, but I've NEVER seen a mask like that.

What's more he was traveling with not one, but TWO fairies, one a golden yellow color, the other was the dark purple fairy she had seen earlier.

"Tatl, is that?!"

"It certainly looks like it! Quick, help them Majora!"

The Skull Kid went into a battle stance and began to charge a ball of dark energy in his hand. I watched as Phantom Ganon stood up and looked at us. "NO!" I shouted. They looked back at me. "You can't use dark magic. He'll just absorb it!" Unfortunately that gave Phantom Ganon all the time he needed. With one swift movement, he raised his arm and through a spear towards temple entrance. Suddenly a wall of black runes appeared and tried to repel the spear, but with another shock of dark magic from Phantom Ganon he blasted through the barrier that crashed to the ground like glass. Raising his hand he summoned the dark horse he used to fight Link and I in the past. And bounded out the door to places unknown.

Majora ran up to me and released my bonds. "Thank you. Majora was it?"

He nodded his head. "Haha! It's alright. Say who are you?"

"Me? Oh well actually hold on a minute I'll show you." I sat up and concentrated. By now I was sure I could change back into a fairy and I was right. Majora fell backwards in shock as he saw my new form. "Whoa! You're a fairy?! I didn't know fairies could change into Hylians!"

That's when his faeries came flittering down protectively in front of him. "We're not supposed to." said the purple one.

"That only happens if we help evil creatures!" said the yellow one.

"Tell us who you are and what you're doing here. If we believe you, we MIGHT let you go!"

I hung my head in shame. I should have known this was going to happen. Of course his faeries  
would freak out. I would to if I saw another fairy do that. "My… my name is Navi. I'm looking for my old friend Link. That guy over there, the one you just saved, he's like a dark version of my old friend. But he's not bad! He doesn't know anything about the world! He has the chance to become a very good person, please your friend has some dark power, he has to help him! I'm begging you… please."

I watched as the dark purple one turned to Majora and said "Hey hear that? They're friends of Link! Come on let's go help that other guy." The two of them scuttled over to Nox, but the yellow one stayed right where she was, looking at me with angry eyes.

I thought she just didn't trust me because I had broken such an ancient taboo, but then she flew over to me…

And slapped me in the face.

I looked back at her shocked and confused. And my confusion only grew as I saw the angry look in her now crying eyes. "Navi. Navi! I remember that name! It was seven years ago now. Seven long, long years! You abandoned him! You left him completely alone yet he still had the determination to go looking for you! And now you say you're looking for him?! WHERE DO YOU GET THE RIGHT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU DID TO THAT LITTLE BOY HUH?!"

"He went searching for you! And he wound up in our land of Termina! And even with a broken heart, through the misery and the pain you left him with, he had the courage to defend us! Out of the kindness of his own heart protected our home in our time of need when no one else could! I… I wouldn't have my brother or Majora back if it weren't for him… how… how could you abandon such a sweet, sweet little boy…?"

It was then that I understood. These people, they had met Link before. Met him right after he went off looking for me… when he was at what must have been his lowest point. Tears welled up in my eyes as the weight of my crimes washed over me again.

Link… I'm so sorry.


End file.
